Now my photo has nothing to do with the point of this post. You know I dislike "greatly" all-text entries, so here's the deal.

There are lots of new hunts coming to the grid tomorrow. There are also other venues which I will be reporting on. My work at LEA7 has calmed down after a couple of months. Forty or so sets seems like an adequate number of choices, so I am taking a break. I do enjoy a good hunt and so I went out perusing the possibilities for this next week. I checked out the blog pages and most are pretty secretive -- including the one my shop is in and I know there are prize photos to be posted as I sent mine in long. So perhaps everyone is waiting until "the day".

As a hunt organizer (and no, I am not going there again in the near future) I'm not sure that is the best plan -- but whatever.

What I did find is that the Runway Perfect Hunt is now a $5 hunt (fine if there are prize photos; I am not a grab bag hunter). Some other hunt blogs hadn't been updated in for-e-ver which doesn't get me excited to attend. So, at the moment, I plan to do the Color Explosion Hunt -- in part or I may split it with a friend as it is a big hunt.

Any of you that are doing (and complete) *wink* the Fantasy Faire Key of Hope hunt, I would really like to know what you found. Feel free to comment to this post or IM me in world with your URL. Since I am not the best hunter in the world, I passed; I am still interested in what YOU found.

Oh yes, my lead photo. If you read this blog daily, you most likely have noted a lot of Ducknipple and secondary brand items mentioned on these pages. I am not being lazy, I just have a lot of great stuff to show. Now of course I don't feature everything. Some items are a bit too skimpy for my tastes, but there is a huge selection of great looking stuff that fits me well. So what'a a blogger to do? I have the vendors plunked down on my building pad at LEA7. When in need? You got it; I open up one of the boxes I saved out.

HOHO. OK. Maybe I am lazy.

This is a slightly skimpy but not tooooo much top called the Paula Vest. It runs a little small as I am wearing a medium. The plus side of that is that I need no alpha layer.

Now I am pretty good with my inventory. I delete readily and sort -- well I do sorta sort. But I not only have too many things, I also have a MESS. Things to go through, box as needed, delete, backup, sort and sort again.

My top folder in my inventory is called "This week's stuff". Now obviously I was very optimistic when I named that folder well over a year ago. Releases sometimes stay in there way too long.

I haven't made it all the way through that folder yet; I have subfolders (and subfolders in the subfolders in the subfolder *wink*) for both the Medieval Hunt and some of Pose Fair. OK. I also found a folder of aDORKable holiday advent poses. Oh my!

Making progress, I give you one "this week" item, one "a couple of weeks ago" item and one "how on earth did I forget about this" item.

The Color Explosion Hunt starts at midnight. Actually, if you are really ready to hunt most stores should have their items out. My shop is number 28 in the long list. I haven't been doing hunts much of late, but the last one from this organizer was a good one, so I decided to join in.

This flowery mini is the hunt prize from 1Hundred. Find the hot pink "inkblot"; it's easy to see.

This is going to be a toughie for me as I am very happy in SL. Sure there are times when I raise my fist as the database fairy when it looses a bunch of my stuff (we'll there's number 1 I guess) but I found it most interesting that I didn't relate to any of Berry's wants. So I suspect that we will have a broader range of answers this time out.

Here we go.

#1 will be that the database would be more stable. Anyone who has lost a lot of inventory (and I have had three MAJOR losses in five years - one my complete home and garden folder) knows how devastating it can be. Not only are you out money and time -- if it was a hunt prize -- there are many things that are irreplaceable.

#2 is that we could go back in a time before The Labs decided to abandon their support of the education process and erase that decision. We have muddled through with Youtube tutorials and a few schools still carrying on, but for those of you that came after that edict (maybe 2008 for the beginning of the end), you can't imagine the impact.

#3 hmmmmm -- I really can't think of another wish. It would be silly to use up a good wish on trivial things like having "teleport to ground" in my viewer of choice *wink*. So I am going to go for The Labs upping the premium free tier to 1024. I realize that the time and cost to implement the change would be great, but really! Half of the mainland is deserted and if not for sale under "maintenance". Giving some added incentive to go premium seems like a wise choice. I hate waste in all forms.

That's my input. Was fun to dress up in an old outfit from Angelwing and open the Genie bottle skybox that I never got around to viewing when it came out :D.

It's almost the first of the month and that means lots of newness. Hunts, events and venues will be coming your way soon. Behind me in a widescreen landscape (click for a larger photo) are some of the releases from The Challenge where designers are put to the test with some unusual themes. This month is "underwater".

My photo includes many things from Cleo Designs as well as items from [hate this], 22769 ~ [bauwerk] , L&K and Senzafine.

As an aside, I can now take GIANT resolution photos without that nasty line making a cross. I knew the official viewer had fixed this some time ago and was looking forward to trying out the new Firestorm. It works perfectly now. I doubt I will be taking those really big photos often, but it is nice to know that is an option.

My sweater is a new release from 20.FIVE (Lifted) and come with color change hud.

There is a new skin out at AKERUKA; Manuela. This is definitely a "me" release and I am excited. Dark (at least the skin tone I chose) and sultry, there seems to be a little bit of Latina in this gal. Mystery for sure.

Ducknipple has many new releases with this being one of my favorites. The texturing is phenomenal and happily I don't even need the alpha layer it fits so well. The Strapped Top comes with color change hud of course.

I felt so at home in this skin I finally (yes, really) changed my profile photo.

It's about time.

And a comment for any of you that read this blog on iheartsl.com. You are often missing the lead photo. Not sure what the issue is of late but each time I have seen a post, one or more photos were missing AND I see lots of pictureless posts, so click through for more goodness :D.

Long ago and very far away there was a Fruit Fetish Calendar from (*chanimations. Gogo did a rundown on the whole set. That may have been on her old blog as I can't find the photos with her blog search or Google, but I did find a reminiscence of the food addiction here.

Well Chandra is at it again with another set of calender prop sweetness. Put on your best skimpy attire and give your honey a present of personal photos. Just you and the sugary goodness. I picked waffles as they are hard to make and I don't think I have had them in a couple of decades or more.

Wrapped with messy tendrils, it includes a large range of colors within the main tonal theme.

A fancy clip holds the hair in place, but that was a bit too posh for my romper so I added an antique hair flower from the (*chanimations bonVoyage set.

New from [CIRCA], the Divine Artisan Baking Table. Seven animations, wearable props and wall art (not shown here), it weighs in at 40 prims. Other models available with color change menus.

Now here's a little techie info that might be of help. Just how does it fit into our theme of the morn? Well, it's about clouds (see title please :D). The new Firestorm which "most" of us are using now comes packed with lots of new features for photographers. One of them is the ability to change your cloud textures.

Preferences> Firestorm> Windlight> Cloud Textures gets you a drop-down box. I need to restart to see the changes. I have tried two of the new options and this second one (Altocumulus) looks pretty interesting. BUT (and that's why I am mentioning this) the new texture REALLY drags my graphics card.

Later note: Seems like it wasn't the clouds at all, just SL having a particularly SLOW time. That doesn't change my general slowness comment below, but give those clouds a try.

Now I have a ATI HD6950 which two years ago was at the top of the lists and now -- of course, not so much. It still does a good job but with the new server and viewer changes I have noted a huge difference in its ability to handle things. Hence shadows are not part of my everyday experience, just a now and then and photography thing. So for those of you with middle of the road graphics cards, be aware that newness may come with a price.

I'm going to see how it goes, whether my temperament is willing to put up with a less than perfect viewing experience. I did of course for many years. We get so spoiled.

* The Patience dress from lassitude & ennui for Zodiac . The flowing mesh dress with a layer of semi-transparent gauze (so very pretty) comes in earthy tones (since Taurus is an earth sign) and two neutrals. I am wearing cream.

*This new rigged mesh hair from MINA, Gaia, is available at My Attic @ The Deck. It is really lovely and flows nicely.

* Now it wasn't until I finished these photos that I realized I would never wear this dress with red wine (my preference) nearby. But HAPPILY we don't have to worry about that in our virtual land. The Burnby Wine Cabinet from Cheeky Pea comes in natural, dark and white woods with either PG or Adult animations. The decor items are not attached and can be moved or rearranged. Also new are some easels to hold your artwork. Gallery opening anyone? These have excellent LODs for long range viewing. (Well of course I CHECKED that! *wink*).

My sandals are Blossom Sandals from lassitude & ennui, one of my favorites.

The newly released Firestorm viewer has lots of new features, one of my favorites -- the ability to derender short term or permanently. It also has a vignette feature for photography. Find that addition in the General Tab of the Phototools about two thirds down. From subtle to dramatic, the choice is yours.

I'm not sure I will be using the feature all that often in photography as my graphics program gives you more control (see above), but it's good to know it is there and may come in handy for machinima. Those of you who hate to fiddle with post processing will no doubt embrace this feature.

My outfit of the morn includes new duds from SLC. Comfy and perky the Frilly Blouse Tartan and Mesh Skirt Anna go very nicely with the just out girlie hair from Vanity Hair. Marshmallow is the name and it is indeed fun. The bands are click to color change (two at a time); stopping your AO is advised unless you are a more careful clicker than I.

I did a little shopping at Fantasy Faire and picked up these great raspberry bushes at The Looking Glass. They are a RFL item and a very good value. Mod, copy and in several sizes (one appears to be for petites) you can build a raspberry field in just a couple of minutes. My tractor is freeon the marketplace.

There are surprises around every corner. Today was a big one for them and the song of that title from maybe the 50s is playing in my head. I've been working on a grungy city for MOSP; that you know. Along the way I got stuck. Main stuff done but in need of details I had exhausted the search capacity of the Marketplace and resorted to a cry for help on the Wanted Forum. Is there good, high quality grunge stuff out there? Well yes, there is. Hard to find but there. In the meantime I had made a lot of props on my own, not a bad thing but time consuming.

This morning after several busy days in Blenderland I decided I should clean out my Objects folder. I set my preferences to accept all incoming awhile ago so as not to miss things people offered. The downside of that is that while I get the items, I don't KNOW they are there (there must be a better way :D). I found a few items I hadn't known about including a big pack of props from Chandra (more on that in another post) and a stop sign from a gal I had chatted with following my forum post in need. She was so nice to send me her very distressed stop sign which I had a great place for. One thing lead to another and I have a huge amount of show and tell items from Vikki Placebo of\-. < CARGO > .-/.

Now \-. < CARGO > .-/ is only on the Marketplace and you know I don't often "go there", but I am mightily impressed and you also know I don't impress easily. So here's my pitch for a really talented designer, right up there with some of the best.

Many items including the furniture include texture changes. The lamp has a huge menu for setting the lighting JUST like you like it. I was so enamored with the furniture I re-textured a room in the " grunge inn" to coordinate.

Most of you will not care, but I can tell from looking at the mesh that the folks on the mesh forums would be very happy with the low poly topology (see how smart I am?) of these designs. The oldtimers there, many who make their living in RL 3D jobs, are adamant about keeping it simple. Less is more and gentler on the server -- something we DO need to think about.

On a personal note I was ever so thrilled to find that many items come in their OWN UNIQUE box. It was like Christmas as I so love boxes to decorate with. Even the toolbox is a product box and perfect for decorating.

Feel free to zip on over to the new build and take a look. Wander a bit and take some photos -- you know you want to.

This seemed like the perfect post to show off the guy prize from EMO-tions on the Key of Hope Hunt
(see previous post). I decided that I didn't have the time or energy
for something that I might not be able to finish so I'll leave that up
to you intrepid hunters. The dragon earring is VERY cool and there is
also something very nice for the ladies.

Get on your hunter sneakers; there's excitement afoot. The big Fantasy Faire RFL hunt begins at noon today at Valley of Ish'Nar. You will need a hud. I don't know the cost. $100 Lindens. I do know that the hunt will be in TWO parts with the second lasting until May 21. You need to complete the first part in order to get the hud for the second where you will get ALL the prizes. [Note: rereading that I don't think I was clear. I "think" that you get some prizes in the first section of the hunt (doesn't seem so from the later info) along with the ability to continue. Again, info is sketchy :D ] I am thinking this will be a toughie, but I may give it a try anyway. So far I have not heard of a hunt help group, but that may appear on this page later in the day.

So what's with this photo of the morn? Well while you are waiting for the Fantasy Faire hunt to begin, I suggest you head on over to Chez Moi where you can pick up all these gifts on a Mom's Hunt. Now I am not a mom even in real life (oh my, another secret) but even if you aren't a SL mom, there are some extremely nice items to be found.

My favorites are the chalk board and the breakfast tray which will be added to some MOSP sets later in the day. And you never know when you might need kid gear. I keep all props of quality -- and yesterday that came in VERY handy! WHO KNEW I would have a perfect spot for a shipping crate with two tigers (more on that soon).

You are looking for a very pretty sculpted orange flower. They are all out in the open and easy to find. It takes awhile for the sim to load, so be patient.

My backdrop shows off the new gate from Barnesworth Anubis. I removed the texture from the pavers and added some hills for a simple all white background with interest. You can find it and other all white photo scenes here.

My outfit is made up of two brand new releases from Ducknipple, the Gazz Jacket and Studded Leggings. My matching boots are recently out from Ducknipple too, Rambo for gals and guys. Color change hud of course; I chose teal this time out. The tank is an oldie and no longer available.

Why did you start blogging? Originally I was asked to join Second Life Colors. Then when that blog had to close (in retrospect it did not but LL was yelling and screaming at the time about any blog that had Second Life in the title) I started my own blog with a non-SL title *wink*.

How many times a week do you post an entry? Usually daily. Sometimes more. I think my record was five in one day. Now and then I take a few days "off".

How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis? I used to watch several feeds, but honestly they aren't doing it for me of late. So "very few" would be my answer. I do watch the hunt feed to keep up to date.

Do you comment on other people’s blogs? Now and then, mostly to admire a photo.

Do you keep track of how many visitors you have? Only in general. I watch the Blogger page view bar in the Overview. I don't take advertisers; never my plan. So happily I don't have to worry about any of that.

Did you ever regret a post that you wrote? There was one WAY back when I first started that I got a lot of flack over (a not too great sim hunt). Still, I wrote what I felt and that IS what we are supposed to do. Since then if I have a very negative feeling about something I typically keep quiet. Now and then though there is a CAUSE or a PROBLEM that I rant a bit about. No regrets there.

Do you think your readers have a true sense of who you are based on your blog? Yep.

Are there topics that you would never blog about? There are things that are not in my realm of interest. Violence, rape RP, birthing -- unlikely many more. I stick to what I am interested in and let those with other points of view cover the things that are very much "not me".

What is the theme/topic of your blog? I am not really sure about a theme. The title of my blog came in part when Linden Labs banned the use of "Second Life" and related terms for blogs. Someone -- I don't remember now -- coined the term "Phil's Place" instead of Second Life. Eventually that all blew away like so many of The Lab's edicts, ideas, plans :D.

Do you have more than one blog? If so, why? I have a few, yes. And I have had some that have been deleted. When I open a store I usually have a blog. Oddly enough, ChiC buildings has never had a blog and I have had that business for many years. Currently I have Hit Me With Your Best Shots which is more of an archive of my machinima, kudos, resume etc. and the MOSP blogfor what is now the LEA7 sim.

What have you found to be the benefits of blogging? That's easy. I enjoy it. I love taking photos, putting together looks or themes. As a veteran blogger I have review copies from some of the best designers on the grid and that makes me happy. As I have mentioned before, I don't keep all that I blog, only things that are either REALLY me (smile) or things that I believe will come in handy in the future. I am especially happy to blog for some great houseware designers as I often add their things to MOSP LEA7.

So, why do you continue to blog? Blogging is pretty much part of my life. There have been times when I got tired, took a break, thought of quitting -- but as I near post 3,000 (only a month away) I can only think I'll be doing it for awhile longer.

AKERUKA has a new group gift skin out -- actually TWO (one for the guys which will appear another day). This is Giorgia who you may remember from the Skin Fair. This light skin comes with reddish brows and teal eyeshadow. There is a bit of blush on the cheeks and pale lips. While the vendor photo shows it with face tattoos, those are absent in the gift skin. There is currently a join fee but if you took my advice and hit the group button when it was free to opt in, you are set.

Find the skin for gals on the gal side of the shop and the one for guys on the opposite. Follow the green dots *wink*.

My outfit is a new release from Ducknipple featured earlier in the week. Tattoos are from Wicked Tattoos (hunt), earrings very old.

Today was home improvement day in my corporeal realms. That got me appreciating how much easier sprucing up can be in our virtual climes. Now to be honest -- I wanted a lead photo with a utility belt and garden clutter. What I found on searching my inventory is that those props are no longer with me. Oh well. So "pretend" I have on a builder's tool belt in this shot. Along the way I found an old and loved "belt with stuff" that I wore constantly a few years ago. Memories are good.

If you actually read the blog rather than just look at the photos (and that's OK too) you know that Barnesworth Anubis had several home improvement items out for The Garden this round.

The hollyhocks seem to have gotten the most press -- at least on the feeds that I wander through now and again, but there is also a fencing set AND these pavers.

The pavers are modular and fun and for the most part made for those with some building skills in their bag of tricks. The set can be made in most any shape imaginable and a notecard with some ideas comes with the set. I went for something fairly arty and while I can't say I got it first time out -- I did get it and it is impressive. The quality is excellent; the idea for all the shapes somewhere beyond me -- so creative.

Even if you don't have a good building background you can use the rectangular and larger pieces by just plopping them down -- that works. The price is a bargain and we all love those. The pieces are mod so if you want smaller or larger tiles, that's up to you. A wonderful addition to your outdoor decor.

Another release is a fencing set which is easy to put together and especially handy if you live in a themed sim with neighbors and you want to differentiate your plot from theirs. Prims are quite low for the ambiance added.

Fantasy Faire opens tomorrow at 6am SLT. Let's take a quick tour of some of my favorite spots, plus a little fashion preview. Pick up your choice of free skins courtesy of [The Plastik.] Guys skins are there to and yep, both sets have built in garments to help with the lag.

My hair is a RFL donation item for the Faire from EMO-tions. Four fantasy colors are in the pack. Find the shop in Evensong Woods.

I stumbled upon this lovely spot while wandering. It is the Valley of Ish'Nar and there will be a hunt going on here -- at least that is my guess. I can't find any official info. I DO know that EMO-tions has some very pretty jewelry for the hunt. I especially like the prize for the guys. So watch for announcements!

EDIT: I found out the story about the hunt. You can watch the video here(hunt info starts at 22 minutes in). There will be a "small charge" for the hud. That's all I know.

It is very much a picture postcard world here so definitely worth a visit even if you aren't a hunter.

Another very picturesque spot is the Lotus Valley Dream; just gorgeous.

And I loved the cute little village with oh so pretty houses at Lumenaria.

Just a few more hours and Fantasy Faire will be open to the press. Always fun with great builds and plenty of imagination, I can't wait to get there. I'll be giving you a sneak peak of course!

The Gothic doll corset dress is one of the new Faire releases from lassitude & ennui. It comes in a variety of colors and neutrals. You can wear with or without the jacket but I'm not giving up the jacket *wink*. So cute. Find the shop at Crimson Fields near the landing point -- Saturday is the day!

My poses are also available at the fair. Along with poses, Musa has makeups in many styles. Find the shop at Magnificat at the Faire.

Two new items that I am enthusiastic about -- well three really; with great new top (Apoc Hoodie) and boots (Greet Boots) from Ducknipple. Color choices galore of course, I went with something close to neutral. Loving the look. AND, the phone booth prop with lots of great poses and animations from 22769 ~ [bauwerk] at the Mens Dept. Most of the poses work for me. Happy gal.

Pants and earrings antique but still very serviceable. Yeah for limitless closets.

There's newness in my garden, and along with it a new jacket and tie set from Ducknipple for the guys. I really have to admit that I am getting very fond of these all colors imaginable (well not quite that -- but many) HUDS coming with Ducknipple outfits. This one has color change jacket and tie and tint to any tone (color picker) shirt. Ten seconds and you can have a whole new look.

Search out "Henk" for this outfit. Jeans come with but I opted for a more classical look for Pete. I've decided to call my new, preppy guy avatar Pete. He seems to love these outfits and they fit him perfectly. Chav is much too much of a bad boy for these *wink*. And of course you will find neither Chav nor Pete Aeon in my neighborhood. They are merely me.

From Cheeky Pea for The Garden, a complete outdoor area with pergola, blanket seating and hammock. Tons of animations for both singles and couples; there are PG and Adult versions to fit your lifestyle.

I am easily seduced by details and without a doubt, this croquette set is my favorite piece of the release. I predict great popularity.

There are also horseshoes and darts (lead photo background) to add to your outdoor areas.

A year or so ago (maybe longer) we had a rash of junk mail in SL. Store owners were signing us up on their subscribos without our permission and sending ads. Thankfully after so many complaints (many from bloggers who can be quite loud at times *wink*) that practice died down.

This morning I heard from a couple of friends about the return of junk mail. It's a long story but I checked with a few more and here's what I "think" is happening. About a year or so ago I posted about a great free item on this blog. I told all my SL friends, RL friends and YOU of course about it. I'm not going to mention the product, it really doesn't matter but it wasn't clothing. Anyway, my friends are getting notecards, blocks of text and landmarks all delivered to them -- here's the punchline -- from a store they have never visited. The have no products from that store, didn't join the group, some hadn't even heard of it.

What they all have in common was that they got the great freebie from a "competitor" of the store sending out the unsolicited mail. Now we know that they might not actually BE competitors, but there could also be a selling of names things going on. I absolutely hate that in real life and I am not any fonder of it in Second Life.

So, if you followed my advice a year ago and picked up the great gift (and it was a great one) AND you got junk mail today -- you now know the possibilities.

And here's the rest of the story ---

As I was preparing to write this I remembered how much I hate all text posts. What could I take a photo of that would work? I typed in "mail" in my inventory and found this cute mailbox from Mesh Depot which closed the store I believe some time back. You can still get it on the Marketplace; both working and prop mailboxes are included.

So I put out the mailbox down by the tree house and realized that was the perfect place for the new mesh holly hocks from Barnesworth Anubis at The Garden. I was playing with them yesterday and couldn't find a proper place for them. Well here it is. They are lovely and definitely add to the ambiance.

The hollyhocks are an amazing 1 land impact -- even at a much larger size. They come in many colors with four shapes to choose from. They are a great price.

I will have more from Barnesworth at The Garden coming up to show you soon. I had great fun with the pavers yesterday, another excellent buy. So if you can't wait for my show and tell, just make your way over to venue and see for yourself.

If you've been trying to find The Garden (opening at midnight last), here's the link. People are starting to arrive now, but it has been blissfully calm in the early morning hours.

Lots of great outdoor furniture and accessories can be found. Prices range from really good deals to fairly expensive. Something for everyone. One of my favorite offerings is the patio - garden pavers set from Barnesworth Annubis. There is also a collection of flowers and some very pretty picket fencing. You can see the flowers and fencing in the background.

All sorts of patio and garden furniture is present and there is a lovely garden arch with ivy that I have my eye on. I'll be showing you more soon, but just wanted you to have the location. I had to ask a designer to get the landmark. *wink*

My outfit is from Ducknipple, my current daily wear; you have seen it often on these pages.

Tomorrow is the last day for Pose Fair 2013 so get over there. You can never have too many poses!

Yep, there's a story behind this post. I spent the day filming. Lots of complex shots and at least one OMG how lovely moment (they are often rare), so a good day. My plans when I film are always fluid, the theme is there but the story isn't at the beginning. I let the filming lead the way.

Today I was shooting in grayscale with red accents. I knew I wanted something striking to wear -- a head turner or two. So I immediately went to my AD Creations folder. I save many AD Creation outfits all in their original boxes with vendor photos. Pulling out one by one was not really at the top of my list, but I was willing to do it. Then I spied a folder within the folder. It read, "save for possible movie use".

Sometimes I am just so smart! The items in there were from quite awhile ago. I used all three today plus a newish release; they worked perfectly. Now I often discard items after blogging; if I didn't my inventory would be well over 100,000. But I very rarely keep something that I don't blog. So here is a blast from the not too distant past, My Mask.

I have to admit that the pose gives the design an even more eye-catching look than was planned, but trust me -- it is memorable.

So thank you Aliza Karu for keeping my movie costume folder always new and interesting.

Pose by: Coco Poses from the Yoga set and the Regal Arch at Pose Fair 2013